Edible Flowers

I ate flowers for the first time in my life recently.  I didn't know it could be done!  My favorite chef brought them to me to put in the salad.  

I'm pretty sure these were pansies.  It turns out there are a lot of flowers you can eat, but I don't think I will be making a habit of it.

I prefer to admire their beauty more than eat them. 

A Joy High

"I am high,"  I told a coworker.  "High on joy!"

I had just taken part in one of the most uplifting activities I had ever experienced before in my life: our school's annual track meet.  I work at a school for children with special needs.  Every spring we have a track meet solely for our school's track team, which usually consists of around thirty children with ages anywhere from 9-19.  

My amazing friend spearheads the entire track season recruiting coaches, organizing students and transportation, and making sure all is in line to prepare the students for the regional and state Special Olympics for track.  She told me the story of how this particular track meet began.  A regional meet had been canceled due to the weather.  She knew the kids had practiced diligently and would be disappointed if they didn't have a chance to compete on a real track.  She called a local private Christian high school to ask if she could use the track one morning and permission was granted.  That is all she expected, but when she showed up with the children on the morning of the track meet, some of the students and faculty were there to support our students!

The track meet has developed into a day that is talked about year round by our students.  The entire student body of the high school shows up wearing our purple and green colors and shouting our cheers.  They form a human chain for our students to make a grand entrance into the stadium.  Each of our students has assigned to them a fan club which consists of around 8 students who have painted t-shirts and decorated signs with their athlete's name.  Over the loud speaker, a lively MC introduces each student with personal affirmation as well as commentates on each event.  The high school students run alongside our athletes yelling for them as if it were the fight of their lives.  Each track star, whether they receive a gold, silver, or bronze is cheered, given high fives, or even lifted up in celebration.  Parents and faculty hide tears behind sunglasses and students leave with t-shirts or crazy cartoonish hats from their fan club.  A certain race of one student with cerebral palsy who competed with no one but himself touched my heart.  He gave it all he had as the high schoolers ran beside him whooping and hollering.  The crowd loved it, and I admit I teared up a bit.

I left overjoyed and floating on cloud nine.  Isn't this a picture of how life should be?  Not just acceptance of others with special needs but love and encouragement that runs alongside them.  Isn't this too a picture of how we in the body of Christ should treat one another?

The only tough part is explaining to our students that no, their fan club won't be at the other track meets or practice!